Regional Migration Analysis: 9-16 September 2016

American Pipit. Elizabeth Curley/Macaulay Library. eBird S31607399

American Pipit. Elizabeth Curley/Macaulay Library. eBird S31607399

Continental Summary

Moderate and even locally heavy flights featuring Sandhill Crane, Dunlin, Merlin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Pipit, White-crowned Sparrow, and Golden-crowned Sparrow punctuated this period in the West, while moderate to heavy flights of Broad-winged Hawk, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Magnolia Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Palm Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Purple Finch occurred in the East following the passage of a significant cold front.

Curious what birds will move next? Check out our forecast.

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BirdCast West Region

Upper Midwest and Northeast

Scattered moderate and locally heavy flights that began the weekend quickly grew to more widespread moderate to heavy flights in the wake of a cold front. With this frontal passage, high pressure followed by Monday and just as quickly quieted migration activity to locally light to moderate flights. However, another change of air mass brought favorable migration conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to the region, and spawned moderate to heavy flights first in the Upper Midwest and then farther east across the remainder of the region respectively. By Thursday night locally moderate and heavy flights are primarily distributed east of the Appalachians.

Top Movers

[expand title=”Increasing” tag=”h3″]
[table sort=”,desc” tablesorter=”true”]
Species,Increase from Last Week[attr style=”color:green”],% of Checklists Reporting

Palm Warbler,129%,7.4
Swainson’s Thrush,73%,10.9
White-throated Sparrow,180%,4.1
Lincoln’s Sparrow,361%,2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet,333%,1.7
Gray-cheeked Thrush,137%,2
Northern Parula,44%,8.1
Yellow-rumped Warbler,55%,5
Blackpoll Warbler,46%,6.6
Northern Flicker,25%,31.9
Rose-breasted Grosbeak,36%,9.1
Eastern Phoebe,26%,21
Broad-winged Hawk,71%,4.5
American Pipit,175%,1
Blue-headed Vireo,74%,2.7
Nashville Warbler,45%,7.1
Sharp-shinned Hawk,42%,5
House Wren,24%,13.7
Philadelphia Vireo,47%,3.4
Brown Thrasher,30%,6
Blue Jay,11%,62.6
Common Yellowthroat,17%,23
Winter Wren,187%,0.6
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker,56%,2.4

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[table sort=”,asc” tablesorter=”true”]
Species,Decrease from Last Week[attr style=”color:red”],% of Checklists Reporting

Barn Swallow,-54%,5.2
Common Nighthawk,-57%,1.9
Black Tern,-71%,0.5
Baird’s Sandpiper,-59%,0.6
Baltimore Oriole,-46%,2.2
Purple Martin,-72%,0.3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher,-34%,4.6
Bank Swallow,-63%,0.4
Sanderling,-37%,3.6
Tree Swallow,-30%,7.4
Semipalmated Plover,-31%,5.7
Spotted Sandpiper,-35%,3.7
Least Tern,-82%,0.1
Eastern Kingbird,-48%,1.6
Buff-breasted Sandpiper,-63%,0.3
Semipalmated Sandpiper,-30%,5
Least Sandpiper,-24%,7.9
Great Crested Flycatcher,-30%,3.7
Cliff Swallow,-62%,0.3
Short-billed Dowitcher,-44%,1.3
Ruddy Turnstone,-36%,1.2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird,-19%,21
Common Tern,-34%,2.6
Canada Warbler,-39%,1.1
Great Black-backed Gull,-23%,6.1
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Philadelphia Vireo. PW/Macaulay Library. eBird S31610394

Philadelphia Vireo. PW/Macaulay Library. eBird S31610394

Gulf Coast and Southeast

A frontal passage brought moderate to heavy flights across much of the region for Saturday and Sunday nights. The days that followed did not achieve the intensity and extent of these weekend movements; however, light to moderate flights were evident in many areas across the region. Some of these were locally heavy, particularly Monday night in the Carolinas and Tuesday night in the Florida Panhandle.

Top Movers

[expand title=”Increasing” tag=”h3″]
[table sort=”,desc” tablesorter=”true”]
Species,Increase from Last Week[attr style=”color:green”],% of Checklists Reporting

Cape May Warbler,315%,3.7
Tennessee Warbler,168%,4.2
Swainson’s Thrush,179%,3.1
Magnolia Warbler,69%,6
Palm Warbler,497%,1.2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak,413%,1.3
Black-throated Blue Warbler,72%,3.1
Merlin,154%,1.3
Gray-cheeked Thrush,1457%,0.4
Pied-billed Grebe,38%,5.9
Bay-breasted Warbler,275%,0.6
Baltimore Oriole,38%,7.2
Brown Thrasher,21%,15
Philadelphia Vireo,244%,0.5
Nashville Warbler,84%,1.2
American Redstart,29%,14.2
Eastern Phoebe,22%,12
Warbling Vireo,69%,1
Bobolink,66%,1.7
Common Yellowthroat,22%,9.2
Alder Flycatcher,98%,0.7

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[expand title=”Decreasing” tag=”h3″]
[table sort=”,asc” tablesorter=”true”]
Species,Decrease from Last Week[attr style=”color:red”],% of Checklists Reporting

Bank Swallow,-56%,1
Barn Swallow,-33%,11
Least Tern,-52%,1
Semipalmated Plover,-28%,4.3
Solitary Sandpiper,-38%,1.7
Black-necked Stilt,-31%,2.6
Semipalmated Sandpiper,-29%,2.8
Mississippi Kite,-45%,1.3
Magnificent Frigatebird,-40%,1
Black Tern,-38%,1.7
Red-necked Phalarope,-97%,0
Kentucky Warbler,-46%,1.1
Spotted Sandpiper,-22%,5.2
Black-bellied Plover,-28%,3.6
Great Crested Flycatcher,-18%,7.4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow,-28%,2
Buff-breasted Sandpiper,-43%,0.6
King Rail,-72%,0.1
Say’s Phoebe,-86%,0.1
Purple Martin,-34%,1.9
Yellow-billed Cuckoo,-21%,3.8
Cerulean Warbler,-50%,0.4
Upland Sandpiper,-62%,0.3

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Franklin's Gull. Douglas Faulder/Macaulay Library. eBird S31601501

Franklin’s Gull. Douglas Faulder/Macaulay Library. eBird S31601501

Great Plains

Moderate to heavy flights occurred in staggered waves for the weekend, first in the northern and central Plains, then in the eastern and southern Plains, and then again in the northern Plains, as favorable migration conditions built in and through the region. This pattern continued for the beginning of the work week, but without the extent of the weekend flights. As a strong disturbance, with intense rain and thunderstorms, pass through the region to end the period, locally moderate to heavy flights followed in the clearer and cooler air building in from the west.

Top Movers

[expand title=”Increasing” tag=”h3″]
[table sort=”,desc” tablesorter=”true”]
Species,Increase from Last Week[attr style=”color:green”],% of Checklists Reporting

Yellow-rumped Warbler,92%,8.5
Lincoln’s Sparrow,180%,5.6
Franklin’s Gull,75%,18.2
Pied-billed Grebe,69%,17.4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet,91%,5.4
White-throated Sparrow,158%,2
Double-crested Cormorant,58%,17
Blue-headed Vireo,83%,5.3
American White Pelican,56%,16
Purple Finch,598%,1.3
Nashville Warbler,38%,10.5
White-winged Dove,87%,2.3
Hooded Warbler,353%,0.6
Red-bellied Woodpecker,22%,26.7
Ruddy Duck,48%,3.5
Osprey,29%,9.6
Dark-eyed Junco,54%,1.8
Blue Jay,18%,52.1
Ring-billed Gull,20%,21.4
Orange-crowned Warbler,27%,7.1
Eared Grebe,61%,1.9

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[expand title=”Decreasing” tag=”h3″]
[table sort=”,asc” tablesorter=”true”]
Species,Decrease from Last Week[attr style=”color:red”],% of Checklists Reporting

Baltimore Oriole,-74%,3
Say’s Phoebe,-83%,0.4
Red Crossbill,-76%,0.6
Mississippi Kite,-48%,5.4
Eastern Kingbird,-61%,3.9
Western Wood-Pewee,-90%,0.1
Bell’s Vireo,-64%,1.2
American Redstart,-47%,4.7
Red-headed Woodpecker,-42%,9.7
Cliff Swallow,-68%,1.1
Blue Grosbeak,-78%,0.4
Warbling Vireo,-36%,8.8
Red-eyed Vireo,-32%,9.2
Great Crested Flycatcher,-32%,6.3
Western Tanager,-62%,0.6
Yellow Warbler,-31%,8
Black Tern,-53%,3
Little Blue Heron,-59%,0.8
Orchard Oriole,-90%,0.1
Olive-sided Flycatcher,-35%,3.3
Western Kingbird,-53%,1.1
Black-crowned Night-Heron,-40%,2.6
Green Heron,-29%,3.3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher,-27%,7

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Dunlin. Justyn Stahl/Macaulay Library. eBird S31585232

Dunlin. Justyn Stahl/Macaulay Library. eBird S31585232

West

Moderate to locally heavy flights kicked off the weekend on Friday night and ended the period on Thursday night, with larger flights evident particularly in the Rockies. In the interim light to moderate flights were widespread across the region, although tamped by scattered precipitation. Note that some areas that are often active with migrating birds on radar, such as the Central Valley, continued to show modest movements during this period.

Top Movers

[expand title=”Increasing” tag=”h3″]
[table sort=”,desc” tablesorter=”true”]
Species,Increase from Last Week[attr style=”color:green”],% of Checklists Reporting

Golden-crowned Sparrow,220%,3.9
Ruby-crowned Kinglet,106%,5.9
White-crowned Sparrow,49%,18.2
Fox Sparrow,102%,3.6
American Wigeon,49%,5.3
American Pipit,54%,3.8
Lincoln’s Sparrow,38%,7
Sandhill Crane,124%,2.1
Yellow-rumped Warbler,25%,12.6
Merlin,119%,1.6
Say’s Phoebe,24%,7.3
Eared Grebe,35%,3.7
Townsend’s Solitaire,41%,2.5
Northern Flicker,16%,26
Ring-necked Duck,51%,1.8
Red-shouldered Hawk,27%,6.8
Redhead,40%,1.7
Townsend’s Warbler,20%,5.7
Dunlin,288%,0.3
Red-necked Grebe,36%,1.5
Lapland Longspur,1669%,0.2
Red-breasted Sapsucker,32%,1.7
Orange-crowned Warbler,12%,15.9
Red-naped Sapsucker,39%,1.2
Vaux’s Swift,17%,4.4
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[expand title=”Decreasing” tag=”h3″]
[table sort=”,asc” tablesorter=”true”]
Species,Decrease from Last Week[attr style=”color:red”],% of Checklists Reporting

Northern Rough-winged Swallow,-53%,1.7
Western Kingbird,-51%,2.3
Rufous Hummingbird,-49%,1.8
Solitary Sandpiper,-49%,1.1
Western Sandpiper,-35%,5.4
Wilson’s Phalarope,-50%,0.9
Purple Martin,-61%,0.4
Lesser Yellowlegs,-32%,2.5
Broad-tailed Hummingbird,-43%,1.9
Semipalmated Plover,-35%,2.5
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck,-97%,0
Cliff Swallow,-46%,1.8
Blue Grosbeak,-42%,1.5
MacGillivray’s Warbler,-35%,2.9
Semipalmated Sandpiper,-72%,0.2
Barn Swallow,-23%,19.6
Caspian Tern,-26%,4.7
Violet-green Swallow,-23%,4.9
Bank Swallow,-36%,1.1
Eastern Kingbird,-78%,0.1
Lazuli Bunting,-38%,1.7
Black-headed Grosbeak,-36%,2.4

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Farnsworth and Van Doren

Scientific Team

BirdCast is made possible by the participating scientists at the below institutions, and many other contributors.